THE MT VOID
Mt. Holz Science Fiction Society
08/26/16 -- Vol. 35, No. 9, Whole Number 1925
Co-Editor: Mark Leeper, mleeper@optonline.net
Co-Editor: Evelyn Leeper, eleeper@optonline.net
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Topics:
Boris Karloff Day on TCM--TODAY!! (comments by Mark R. Leeper)
Is Nothing Sacred? (comments by Mark R. Leeper)
Science Fiction (and Other) Discussion Groups, Films,
Lectures, etc. (NJ)
My Picks for Turner Classic Movies for September (comments
by Mark R. Leeper)
Hugo Award Winners
1941 Retro Hugo Award Winners (comments by Evelyn C. Leeper)
Infinite Universes (comments by Gordon Diss)
KILLER PARTY (formerly SHOWER) (film review
by Mark R. Leeper)
BAD MOMS (film review by Art Stadlin)
5x5 Part Deux: A Review of Five Jack Reacher Novels
by Lee Child (WITHOUT FAIL, PERSUADER, THE ENEMY,
ONE SHOT, THE HARD WAY) (book reviews by Dale L. Skran)
Various Changes to Hugo Categories, Voting, Etc.
Boris Karloff Day TCM Listings
STAR TREK BEYOND (letter of comment by Kip Williams)
The Joy of Self-Immolation (letter of comment by Jim Susky)
This Week's Reading (TALES AND SKETCHES and THE BLACK LIZARD
BOOK OF LOCKED ROOM MYSTERIES) (book comments
by Evelyn C. Leeper)
===================================================================
TOPIC: Boris Karloff Day on TCM--TODAY!! (comments by Mark R.
Leeper)
Turner Classic Movies is running a full day of Boris Karloff films
on Friday, August 26. (All times are Eastern Daylight Saving
time.) See the full list further down in this issue. [-mrl]
===================================================================
TOPIC: Is Nothing Sacred? (comments by Mark R. Leeper)
I just read this article in SCIENCE NEWS:
http://tinyurl.com/mtv-elect.
It seem that if you have two carbon nanotubes and in each you put
an electron at each end of them. What you get is each electrons
repelling each other. They act as a sort of a polarizer. I don't
quite follow how it is working, but you put the ends of each tube
near each other, the electrons on the ends repel each other, but
the other two electrons attract each other. Electrons are supposed
to repel each other but they can be forced to attract. Really.
Read the article.
I don't quite follow the article but I can get the important
scuttlebutt out of it. Electrons are supposed to repel each other.
They attract protons. Electron shall not be attracted to electron.
That is Nature's way. That is God's way. And it has worked
pretty good until now. Now with their perverted science ways they
are getting electrons to do things that are so perverted it makes
me want to upchuck. And not the least irony is that the guys who
did this brazenly publish the unnatural results in "Nature". And
what was the result? The whole Louisiana flood plane got flooded.
Never saw the Hand of God so clearly in a piece of physics. What's
gonna come next? Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together...
mass hysteria! [-mrl]
===================================================================
TOPIC: Science Fiction (and Other) Discussion Groups, Films,
Lectures, etc. (NJ)
September 8: THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962) & novel by Richard
Condon, Middletown (NJ) Public Library, 5:30PM
http://tinyurl.com/Manchurian-Candi-rulit
September 22: "In Hiding [Children of the Atom]" by Wilmar
H. Shiras and "The Big Front Yard" by Clifford D. Simak
(both in SCIENCE FICTION HALL OF FAME 2B), Old Bridge (NJ)
Public Library, 7PM
October 13: ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (1932) & THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR
MOREAU by H.G. Wells, Middletown (NJ) Public Library, 5:30PM
October 27: CLOSE TO SHORE by Michael Capuzzo, Old Bridge (NJ)
Public Library, 7PM
November 17: "Rogue Moon" by Algis Budrys and "The Moon Moth" by
Jack Vance (both in SCIENCE FICTION HALL OF FAME 2B),
Old Bridge (NJ) Public Library, 7PM
December 15: TBD, Old Bridge (NJ) Public Library, 7PM
January 26: "The Spectre General" by Theodore R. Cogswell and "The
Witches of Karres" by James H. Schmitz (both in SCIENCE
FICTION HALL OF FAME 2B), Old Bridge (NJ) Public Library,
7PM
Garden State Spec. Fiction Writers Lectures (subject to change):
September 10: Ellen Datlow, The State of Horror, Old Bridge (NJ)
Public Library, 12N
October 1: Ken Altabef, Adventures in Publishing, Old Bridge (NJ)
Public Library, 12N
November 5: David Sklar, Character Dreaming, Old Bridge (NJ)
Public Library, 12N
Northern New Jersey events are listed at:
http://www.sfsnnj.com/news.html
===================================================================
TOPIC: My Picks for Turner Classic Movies for September (comments
by Mark R. Leeper)
This is a tough month to pick films to recommend. I have three
films below that are good choices. The first two have a lot in
common. They are in their own ways each a political thriller about
the capabilities of the (then) new electronic environment. Two men
use it in different ways. I guess both films are on the peach-fuzz
fringe of being science fiction. But each shows us a world that is
all too real. THE 47 RONIN on the other hand is a very famous and
traditional samurai story.
All time are listed in East Coast time.
THE CONVERSATION (1974), written, produced, and directed by Francis
Ford Coppola, is a surprisingly timely film considering that it is
42 years old. The subject is electronic spying and the loss of
personal privacy. The film is a study of Harry Caul (played by
Gene Hackman). Caul is a walking legend in the industrial spy
game. His proudest achievement was that it was he who told
Chrysler that Cadillac was getting rid of their fins. Caul knows
about all there is to know in the world of electronic gadgetry and
inter-corporate spying. But Caul has a secret terror. He knows
just a little too much about what is possible and is terrified that
someone is watching him. In the intervening 42 years we know that
technology has made spying much easier. We treat it like people of
Caul's year treated the atomic bomb. It worries us but we go on
living. If we knew what Harry knows, maybe we would be as
frightened. [Friday, September 9, 8:00 PM]
A FACE IN THE CROWD (1957) is good any old time, but I cannot help
but think it is particularly appropriate this election year. Andy
Griffith plays a bum in jail for drunkenness who agrees to speak on
a women's radio show in return for his freedom. He has a nice
down-homey voice that makes people trust him. We see how he is
able to get what he wants from people, as he becomes a sort of
voice of the people who uses and abuses anyone that he pleases.
Soon he is a nationally known figure with very strong political
intentions. He becomes a demagogue that has an unthinking public
following him without recognizing just how vile and dangerous he
is. Andy Griffith plays Rhodes, but he is no Sheriff Andy.
[Saturday, September 24, 4:00 PM]
THE 47 RONIN (1941) is the quintessential Japanese story of duty
and loyalty. If you want to understand Japan's code of the samurai,
one of the fundamental stories it derives from is that of the 47
Ronin. And a classic telling of the story is the 1941 film THE 47
RONIN also known as GENROKU CHISHINGURA directed by Kenji
Mizoguchi.
SPOILER WARNING: What follows is a much-simplified plot of the
film. Don't read it if spoilers are unwelcome. The 47 were
samurai in service to their lord, Asano Naganori. Asano was new at
court and did not know about the strict code of etiquette. Asano
asked a court official named Kira Yoshinaka to train him on the
etiquette of the court. Kira did not want to see Asano succeed and
in intentionally misled Asano. This led Asano to make a fool of
himself in court. Asano realized that Kira had organized his
downfall and in his anger the assaulted Kira. This was an
unforgiveable act and Asano was compelled to commit Seppuku (Hari-
kari) Asano's suicide made his 47 samurai masterless. They knew
their master's death was a great injustice committed by Kira and
they wanted to avenge the death. But Kira was on his guard and
they could not hope to succeed. The 47 were now Ronin (masterless
samurai). They scattered and built new lives. And they waited. A
year later seemed to be about the right time so the 47 re-gathered
and appeared in the snow outside Kira's castle. The leader broke
down the door of Kira's with a huge mallet. (The Ronin at the gate
with a huge mallet is a popular art motif in Japan.) Kira met his
more than timely death just minutes later. Their mission of
avenging their master accomplished the remaining Ronin committed
suicide. It is no coincidence that Mizoguchi told this story in
1941 with the Pacific war in its early stages. The message was
that Japanese soldiers must be loyal to their country and their
Emperor.
Much as the 47 Ronin had to have patience, so does the viewer of
this film. It was split into two films and is a minute over four
hours long. But it is a classic in Japan showing the nobility of
loyalty to ones duty. [Monday, September 19, 2:15 AM]
What is the best film of the month? I would pick THE CONVERSATION.
[-mrl]
===================================================================
TOPIC: Hugo Award Winners
BEST NOVEL: THE FIFTH SEASON by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)
BEST NOVELLA: "Binti" by Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com)
BEST NOVELETTE: "Folding Beijing" by Hao Jingfang, trans. Ken Liu
(Uncanny Magazine, Jan-Feb 2015)
BEST SHORT STORY: "Cat Pictures Please" by Naomi Kritzer
(Clarkesworld, January 2015)
BEST RELATED WORK : No Award
BEST GRAPHIC STORY: The Sandman: Overture written by Neil Gaiman,
art by J.H. Williams III (Vertigo)
BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION (LONG FORM): THE MARTIAN
BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION (SHORT FORM): JESSICA JONES: "AKA Smile"
BEST EDITOR (SHORT FORM): Ellen Datlow
BEST EDITOR (LONG FORM): Sheila E. Gilbert
BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST: Abigail Larson
BEST SEMIPROZINE: UNCANNY MAGAZINE
BEST FANZINE: FILE 770BEST FANCAST: No Award
BEST FAN WRITER: Mike Glyer
BEST FAN ARTIST: Steve Stiles
JOHN W. CAMPBELL AWARD FOR BEST NEW WRITER: Andy Weir
===================================================================
TOPIC: 1941 Retro Hugo Award Winners (comments by Evelyn C. Leeper)
BEST NOVEL: Slan by A.E. Van Vogt (Astounding Science-Fiction,
Dec 1940)
BEST NOVELLA: "If This Goes On..." by Robert A. Heinlein
(Astounding Science-Fiction, Feb 1940)
BEST NOVELETTE: "The Roads Must Roll" by Robert A. Heinlein
(Astounding Science-Fiction, June 1940)
BEST SHORT STORY: "Robbie" by Isaac Asimov (Super Science Stories,
Sept 1940)
BEST GRAPHIC STORY: Batman #1 (Detective Comics, Spring 1940)
BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION (LONG FORM): Fantasia
BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION (SHORT FORM): Pinocchio
BEST EDITOR (SHORT FORM): John W. Campbell
BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST: Virgil Finlay
BEST FANZINE: Futuria Fantasia by Ray Bradbury
BEST FAN WRITER: Ray Bradbury
I had a clean sweep: in the categories I ranked, nothing I voted
first actually won, and several of my last-place choices won
instead. I will say that Virgil Finlay was an excellent choice,
however.
It took almost a week after the ceremony for the nomination and
voting statistics to be available. Apparently the Retro Hugos
are the poor step-children; the statistics for the current were
available minutes after the ceremony for those was over.
In the Novel category, GRAY LENSMAN was a close second to SLAN.
KALLOCAIN came in last--I don't know if voters had access to it in
the packet, but I suspect many did not bother to read it in any
case.
In Novella, Heinlein had the hat trick, with the three top slots,
with "Magic, Inc." second, and "Coventry" third.
In Novelette, he took the top two with "Blowups Happen" coming in
second, and Van Vogt's "It!" coming in third.
In Short Story, though, Asimov's "Robbie" edged out Heinlein's
"Requiem", which placed second. So it wasn't quite a clean sweep
for Heinlein. My favorite in this category, Borges's "Tlon, Uqbar,
Orbis Tertius", placed fifth.
FANTASIA won on the first pass, with THE THIEF OF BAGDAD coming in
second. PINOCCHIO had a longer battle, eventually edging out
"Merrie Melodies".
No surprise, John W. Campbell won for Editor in a landslide (437
first place votes on the 679 ballots). Frederik Pohl was second.
Hannes Bok came in second for Artist.
In Dramatic Presentation, Long Form, PINOCCHIO (88m) got enough
nominations to make the ballot (79), but was deemed too short.
However, it got enough in the Short Form category (32) to qualify
there on the basis of those alone. THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS (81m)
missed the cut-off in Long Form, but made it in Short Form.
DR. CYCLOPS (75m) got enough nominations in Long Form and the
administrators relocated it there because 75% of its nominations
were there and only 25% in Short Form. ONE MILLION B.C. (80m) also
made the cut-off in Long Form and the administrators relocated it
there because it did not make the cut-off in Short Form.
Individually, all these decisions made sense. However, as I noted,
the result was that the two longest Short Form were longer than the
two shortest Long Form. (I am reminded of Old Nehamkin and Young
Nehamkin in Woody Allen's LOVE AND DEATH.) I am not convinced that
swapping those four (which I believe would all have been legal)
wouldn't have resulted in a better split.
However, the top ten nominees ended up on the ballot, which is a
good thing. [-ecl]
===================================================================
TOPIC: Infinite Universes (comments by Gordon Diss)
I've been reading an article in National Geographic ("Special: Are
We Alone?"). The author claims that if there are an infinite
number of universes, then there are an infinite number of earths
and an infinite number of Mark Leepers! From a logical statement,
I don't think it follows that if there are an infinite number of
universes then their are an infinite number of earths. Why
couldn't it be unique? Have you heard this claim? Would
appreciate your thoughts. [-gd]
Mark responds:
There are a number of different theories of what is the real
structure of the multi-verse (that is the term that is used). If
they were all created at once and each universe takes its own path,
there might well be only one Earth, given that we know there is at
least one. The fact that there are an infinite set of universes
does not mean there has to be one with another Earth out there
someplace. (It is a little like you can have uncountably many sets
of real numbers without 7 showing up in any of them.)
But I think what they are talking about is the idea that every
instant of time is a branch point depending on how things come out.
In one universe Napoleon loses at Waterloo and in another Napoleon
wins. These two universes start out very much alike in time and in
time they drift apart. If universes split like amoebas then they
would start out very similar and there would be many, many with
Earths. They would not be totally independent. [-mrl]
===================================================================
TOPIC: KILLER PARTY (formerly SHOWER) (film review by Mark
R. Leeper)
CAPSULE: A group of Los Angeles young professionals is having a
baby shower for one of their number. And wouldn't you know it,
just when the party is getting going a zombie outbreak spreads to
the party neighborhood and nobody knows who will be the next to
zombify and turn on the others. Freshman writer and director Alex
Drummond manages some unusual touches, but overall the film does
not have enough fresh ideas to justify itself. Rating: low +1
(-4 to +4) or 5/10
Comedy usually does not mix well with horror. Almost always one
detracts from the other. Usually it is both. Some of the very
earliest horror films used comedy to be sure nobody in the audience
could take the horror elements in the film too seriously.
(Credited as the first horror film is Georges Melies's LE MANOIR DU
DIABLE, which was full of humorous editing effects.) Comedies such
as WORLD'S END start humorous and end going grim. The filmmakers
overcome the pleasant feeling the audience had from the jokes. And
zombie horror is an inexpensive addition to a film. The expense of
putting zombies in a film need not be very much. Put a prospective
actor in old clothes and have him/her limp a little and you can
probably get it right on the first take. So it is not surprising
that there are a lot of films around that are not much different
from KILLER PARTY. Where DAWN OF THE DEAD satirized commercialism
before slipping into horror mode, KILLER PARTY pokes fun of the
young professionals living in Los Angeles under the shadow of the
"Hollywood" sign.
We are at a party for young professionals or people who want to be.
About everyone we meet is connected to the entertainment industry
in one capacity or another. Most characters are introduced with
wording on the screen to tell what they are professionally. The
names come thick and fast. But not to worry as here is no quiz
later and you get to know who is who by their looks. This group of
under-30s are getting together for a baby shower for one of their
numbers. In fact, until just recently the film was titled SHOWER.
KILLER PARTY is not a very unique title--in fact it was used by at
least two other films--but it has more marquee interest value than
does the title "SHOWER." The party is fairly fancy and even has a
clown for the children of the attendees. And the conversation is
not amazing, but it is reasonably whimsical and shares some of the
unpleasant aspects of being in the entertainment business.
Then reports of mayhem come in from all parts of the city and we
start seeing people drenched in blood. Is there a lot of blood in
the film? Yes, there certainly is. Is there violence in the film?
Well, yes, quite a bit. But the blood and the violence seem to
never be shown in the same scene. That makes it a good deal less
bothersome.
The one image that will probably stick with you is the hired clown
as one of the first victims of the zombies. A lot of children and
perhaps a few adults in the real world find clowns a little scary
for some reason. The image of a zombie clown plays off of that
fear. The clown sort of reminded me of Heath Ledger's Joker from
THE DARK KNIGHT (2008). If you want an effectively scary clown see
Alex de la Iglesia's small masterpiece THE LAST CIRCUS (2010).
We have repeated images of zombies coming to the yard where the
party was taking place. They just stand there with their backs to
the house. It never was explained what that was all about. I
suppose leaving some mystery unexplained is a good touch. Drummond
does not give a good idea of how much time is passing. It seems
like it is all taking place in an afternoon--there are no night
shots--but before long the people in the house are running out of
food and water. The premise of the baby shower gives a reason for
all the people to be present and for the presence of the clown, but
is never used beyond that.
In spite of a few humorous moments, this film does not really stand
out in any way, watching it is an amiable pastime. IMDB lists
three films called KILLER PARTY. There is no strong reason to
search for this one. I rate it a low +1 on the -4 to +4 scale or
5/10. Killer Party was released August 16.
Film Credits: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2461262/combined
What others are saying:
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/killer_party_2014
[-mrl]
===================================================================
TOPIC: BAD MOMS (film review by Art Stadlin)
This was not on my must-see list but I did not want to disappoint
my wife, so I went with low expectations. BAD MOMS is actually not
bad. In just a few words: HANGOVER meets MR. MOM. Like MR. MOM,
we delve into the intricacies of the busy life of parenting. Like
HANGOVER, there is a lot of drinking going on.
The story line is simple: The busy soccer moms in a middle/upper
class suburb have fallen into a pattern of competing, with each
striving to be more perfect than the next. Being the perfect mom
is not so easy when there's a divorce-in-progress and a job with a
nutcase for a boss. So our lead mom, Amy (Mila Kunis) finally
snaps. She heads to a bar to drown in self-pity, only to meet
another imperfect mom. Quickly a third confused mom joins in and
now they have a movement! Bad moms rule!
Before bad moms can take control there is the seemingly ultra-
perfectionist president of the PTA to deal with (Christina
Applegate). Let the dirty tricks begin! And it's time for the PTA
elections! And all the moms in suburbia love cheap wine!
I won't spoil the ending but you will probably guess it fairly
early in the movie. You won't be disappointed with any surprise
twist endings. Actually they did a great job, I thought, in tying
up all the loose ends in the last ten minutes or so. You will
leave the theater with a smile on your face, for two reasons: the
feel good ending and also some of the slap-stick comedy was,
indeed, funny.
A couple of footnotes: There are references in the movie to
current events and characters that millennials will connect with.
For example, my wife said one of the references was to a character
in the HBO series GAME OF THRONES. Since I've never seen it, I
felt like the only one not laughing. Another note is that *after*
the ending credits there are several minutes of candid footage of
the movie moms with their real-life moms, reflecting on their own
imperfections as moms. [-as]
===================================================================
TOPIC: 5x5 Part Deux: A Review of Five Jack Reacher Novels by Lee
Child (book reviews by Dale L. Skran)
WITHOUT FAIL (2002)
PERSUADER (2003)
THE ENEMY (2004)
ONE SHOT (2005)
THE HARD WAY (2006)
I'm continuing my review of all the Jack Reacher novels with a
second set--"Part Deux." As before, I don't plan on recapitulating
the plots, but instead will focus on general observations and
themes. Also, I'm assuming you've read the previous review, so I
don't need to go through the basics on "Who is this guy Jack
Reacher anyway?" WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.
In WITHOUT FAIL a new female head of the Vice President's
protective detail reaches out to Jack to act as a "red team" and
find ways to penetrate the Secret Service barriers. You know she is
good at what she does, since the first task she accomplishes is to
find Jack Reacher, and Jack is hard to find. It turns out that she
heard about Jack from her ex-boy friend, Joe Reacher. She enrolls
Jack in the project, and Jack brings in his old Master Sergeant
from the 110th MP Special Unit, Frances Neagley, now working as a
private investigator in Chicago. In short order, they demonstrate
that it would not be that difficult for pros to do in the VP. This
may be the first, but is not the last, book in which Neagley
appears. Then, as usual, things start to get interesting, and
Jack/Frances embark on a kill or be killed mission to bring down
the would-be assassins before they get to the VP. As it turns out,
you can't stop skilled professionals from trying to kill the VP.
However, stopping Jack Reacher from killing the professionals is
even harder. As is Child's style, WITHOUT FAIL runs the reader
across the American landscape, and ends with a complex battle
between Reacher/Neagley and the would-be assassins in the
countryside of Wyoming. WITHOUT FAIL is different in tone in that
Reacher often is wearing his brother's suits to fit in with the
Secret Service, and Jack is operating as part of a large, well-
funded government operation.
PERSUADER is similar to WITHOUT FAIL in that a female agent enlists
Reacher in a mission. DEA agent Susan Duffy figures out that
Reacher may be looking for someone who is part of a drug ring that
she has inserted an agent into as part of a rogue operation.
Hence, she needs a rogue operator to figure out what has happened.
She uses her team to set Reacher up as having killed a policeman
and needing refuge with the drug runners. Thus, Jack enters into a
dangerous deep cover operation as he attempts to penetrate a
complex criminal organization while looking for someone who may be
his oldest and worst enemy, a loose end from a bad day back in the
Army. PERSUADER takes place mainly in New York and New Jersey, and
the surrounding area. The body count is high and the twists are
many as Jack remorselessly pursues someone who may be his most vile
and dangerous foe.
Lee Child strikes out in a new direction with THE ENEMY, taking
Jack back to 1990 when he was just an MP, not a Major heading the
110th Special Unit. Reacher is transferred to a new assignment,
and bodies start dropping like flies. Fairly soon it becomes clear
that Jack has been set up as the patsy for the murders. This
proves to be a mistake as Jack does not respond well to personal
attacks. THE ENEMY is the case that puts Jack on a course to
becoming a lone vigilante. He discovers a terrifying conspiracy in
which one branch of the Army is targeting the leaders of another
branch for assassination in order to win the budget wars in the
aftermath of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The leaders of this
conspiracy are so high up that even Reacher can't touch them, and
he is limited to sending them a message by killing one of their key
minions. The book ends with a tense fight between Jack and a
soldier from an Armored Division who is attempting suicide by
calling in an artillery attack on his (and Jack's) position.
THE ENEMY gives Child an opportunity to flesh out Jack's
background. He visits his dying mother in Paris, and we learn
quite a bit about her past. Joe Reacher appears often, allowing
the relationship between Jack and Joe to be developed. If you
thought Reacher was dangerous, you might want to avoid his mother,
a French Resistance courier who strangled a traitor with a cheese
cutter wire at the age of 13.
At this point, ONE SHOT may be the best-known Reacher novel, since
it has been made into a major motion picture starring Tom Cruise.
I'm just going to focus on how the movie is different from the
book. The general plot and setup are essentially the same in all
their major elements. The significant differences are:
1. Tom Cruise is much shorter and smaller than Jack Reacher in the
books, who is described as being 6' 5" and weighing 250 lbs, most
of it solid muscle. Reach's size lends an air of realism to the
fights in the books, since a trained fighter of this size and
strength can drop most opponents with a single blow.
2. There is a scene in the movie in which Reacher goes to
investigate a house "guarded" by a drugged out old woman. In the
movie this leads to a comedic fight as two thugs fall all over
themselves hitting each other with clubs after first knocking
Reacher down so that he falls into a bathtub. This is a terrible
scene that is totally at odds with the tone of the Child books,
which always treat the fights very seriously. Also, if Reacher
allowed people to sneak up and hit him in the head with a baseball
bat, as happens in the movie, he would not have made it out of the
first book alive.
3. The movie adds an extended car chase that is not in the book.
This is very much at odds with Jack Reacher in the books, who can
and does drive long distances, but is described as not being a
skilled driver.
4. Several female characters in the book are merged into a single
female character in the movie. This may be necessary to condense
the book, but it does mean that a lot of plot is left out of the
movie.
5. The concluding battle in the movie is very different than in the
book. The fight in the book is more realistic, although much more
graphic as Reacher slips silently room by room through a house,
killing his opponents with a knife.
6. There is a scene in the movie that is part of the final battle
where Reacher puts down a gun to fight hand to hand with his most
skilled opponent. This is pure Hollywood nonsense. Reacher is a
very practical fighter in the books, and he never gives up any
advantage. He would simply have shot the person in the head and
moved on.
I've reviewed THE HARD WAY separately in the MT VOID, and so will
not discuss it again here, except to mention that much of it takes
place in England, and Child is from England.
Reacher is portrayed by Child has having two unusual abilities.
Firstly, he always knows what time it is without a watch, and can
accurately keep track of elapsed time, which is often critical in
the plots. This ability matters little in the first few books, but
the time we get to THE HARD WAY, it is critical to the plot.
Secondly, Reacher has a flair for number theory, which as we learn
much later in NEVER GO BACK started when as a child he read a large
number of back issues of THE JOURNAL OF RECREATIONAL MATHEMATICS.
Jack's abilities in this regard are not those of a Von Neumann, but
probably exceed the ability of many professional mathematicians.
Sometimes this ability figures in the plot as Jack deciphers
cryptic messages or numbers. In particular, in BAD LUCK AND
TROUBLE the plot revolves around understanding what a series of
numbers might mean. Jack is portrayed as doing mathematics in his
head to pass the time as he waits for events to occur, something
that has no doubt honed his computational abilities to a high
degree as he spends a lot of time waiting for the bad guys to show
up.
A running theme in the Jack Reacher novels is fights between
Reacher and challenging opponents. A similar trope appears in the
MODESTY BLAISE novels. In WITHOUT FAIL, the villains are two well-
trained and well-armed rogue cops. PERSUADER pits Reacher against
"Pauli," a heavy steroid user with virtually super-human strength
and endurance to pain in what may be the closest contest in the
entire series. ONE SHOT features an expert sniper drawing down on
Reacher and the elderly but deadly "Zek." THE ENEMY lacks
physically impressive bad guys, but THE HARD WAY showcases one of
the most bizarre, a giant who lives in a special house built so
that its proportions fit the giant, and not normal folks, and whose
hands are so big he can't pull the trigger on a gun.
In many ways the Jack Reacher series is a love poem to the American
landscape. Rather like Sam and Dean in SUPERNATUARAL, Jack roams
the byways and highways of rural America, working odd jobs and
living in seedy motels. The Army, the FBI, and the local police
may all be corrupt in the best noir tradition, but the average
working stiff comes out pretty well. In any case, Child's ability
to bring to life new locations and develop plots that are
fundamentally different from each other is remarkable. [-dls]
===================================================================
TOPIC: Various Changes to Hugo Categories, Voting, Etc.
The following were ratified by the Business Meeting and take effect
at the close of MidAmericon II:
Best Fancast: Needed to avoid invoking sunset clause on this
category.
The 5% Solution: Works no longer need to appear on at least 5% of
the ballots to make the final ballot
Multiple Nominations: No work can appear in more than one Hugo
category.
Electronic Signatures: If all bids agree, Site Selection may accept
electronic votes.
The following received first passage and will be voted on at
Worldcon 75 in Finland next year. If they pass there, they will
take effect at the close of Worldcon 75:
Best Series: Add this category.
December Is Good Enough: Restrict nominating to members as of
December 31 (rather than January 31).
Defining North America: The definition is needed for the NASFIC,
but "fell out" of the WSFS Constitution when site rotation by zones
went away.
Two years Are Good Enough: Only members of the current and the
previous Worldcon can nominate. (Drops members of the subsequent
Worldcon, unless of course they are members of the current or
previous.)
Young Adult Award: Would add a non-Hugo ("Campbell-like") award.
Retrospective Improvements: TBD
Universal Suffrage: Prohibits Worldcons from selling full
attendance memberships without voting rights.
EPH: Too complicated to explain here.
EPH+: If you thought EPH was complicated, ...
5 and 6: Nominators can nominate 5 works in each category; the
final ballot will contain the top 6 (or more, in case of ties).
3SV: Three-stage voting. There is an additional vote where a list
of 15 finalists in each category is sent to voters, and they can
vote accept/reject/abstain for each, with 60% or more "rejections"
in the combined accept/reject total, or 20% or more of the eligible
voters, removing that item. The top five remaining items are the
final ballot.
[-ecl]
===================================================================
TOPIC: Boris Karloff Day TCM Listings (08/26/16)
6:00 AM: LURED (1947)
A woman helps the police catch the serial killer who murdered her
best friend. Dir: Douglas Sirk Cast: George Sanders, Lucille
Ball, Charles Coburn. BW-103 mins
7:45 AM: LOST PATROL, THE (1934)
A British army troop fights off Arab snipers while holed up in an
oasis. Dir: John Ford Cast: Victor McLaglen, Boris Karloff,
Wallace Ford. BW-72 mins, CC
9:00 AM: DICK TRACY MEETS GRUESOME (1947)
Dick Tracy tracks down a bank robber using nerve gas. Dir: John
Rawlins Cast: Boris Karloff, Ralph Byrd, Anne Gwynne. BW-65 mins
10:15 AM: MASK OF FU MANCHU, THE (1932)
A Chinese warlord threatens explorers in search of the key to
global power. Dir: Charles Brabin Cast: Boris Karloff, Lewis
Stone, Karen Morley. BW-68 mins, CC
11:45 AM: FATAL HOUR, THE (1940)
Asian sleuth Mr. Wong gets caught up in the mystery surrounding a
policeman's death. Dir: William Nigh Cast: Boris Karloff,
Marjorie Reynolds, Grant Withers. BW-66 mins
1:00 PM: BRITISH INTELLIGENCE (1940)
A lady spy uses a British nobleman's home in her undercover work
for the Germans. Dir: Terry Morse Cast: Boris Karloff, Margaret
Lindsay, Bruce Lester. BW-61 mins, CC
2:15 PM: WALKING DEAD, THE (1936)
A framed man comes back from the dead to seek revenge. Dir:
Michael Curtiz Cast: Boris Karloff, Ricardo Cortez, Edmund Gwenn.
BW-65 mins, CC
3:30 PM: MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG, THE (1939)
A mad scientist uses an artificial heart pump he invented to seek
revenge after he is executed. Dir: Nick Grinde Cast: Boris
Karloff, Lorna Gray, Robert Wilcox. BW-64 mins, CC
4:45 PM: TERROR, THE (1963)
A lost soldier discovers a mysterious beauty haunting a half-
deserted castle. Dir: Roger Corman Cast: Boris Karloff, Jack
Nicholson, Sandra Knight. C-79 mins, CC
6:15 PM: BLACK SABBATH (1964)
A trio of atmospheric horror tales presented by Boris Karloff.
Dir: Mario Bava Cast: Jacqueline Pierreux, Milly Monti, Michele
Mercier. C-96 mins, CC, Letterbox Format
8:00 PM: FRANKENSTEIN (1931)
A crazed scientist creates a living being from body parts, not
realizing it has a madman's brain. Dir: James Whale Cast: Colin
Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles. BW-70 mins, CC
9:30 PM: BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935)
To save his wife, Baron Frankenstein must build a mate for his
monster. Dir: James Whale Cast: Karloff, Colin Clive, Valerie
Hobson. BW-75 mins, CC
11:00 PM: MUMMY, THE (1932)
An Egyptian mummy returns to life to stalk the reincarnation of his
lost love. Dir: Karl Freund Cast: Boris Karloff, Zita Johann,
David Manners. BW-73 mins, CC
12:30 AM: BLACK CAT, THE (1934)
A Satanist faces off with the vengeful man whose wife and daughter
he has stolen. Dir: Edgar G. Ulmer Cast: Karloff, Bela Lugosi,
David Manners. BW-65 mins, CC
1:45 AM: BODY SNATCHER, THE (1945)
To continue his medical experiments, a doctor must buy corpses from
a grave robber. Dir: Robert Wise Cast: Boris Karloff, Bela
Lugosi, Henry Daniell. BW-78 mins, CC
3:15 AM: ISLE OF THE DEAD (1945)
The inhabitants of a Balkans island under quarantine fear that one
of their number is a vampire. Dir: Mark Robson Cast: Boris
Karloff, Ellen Drew, Marc Cramer. BW-72 mins, CC
4:30 AM: BEDLAM (1946)
When an actress tries to reform an asylum, its corrupt keeper has
her committed. Dir: Mark Robson Cast: Boris Karloff, Anna Lee,
Billy House. BW-79 mins, CC
===================================================================
TOPIC: STAR TREK BEYOND (letter of comment by Kip Williams)
In response to Mark's comments on STAR TREK BEYOND in the 08/19/16
issue of the MT VOID, Kip Williams writes:
Two things about the Trek movie: When I saw the bit with the flux
lines streaming around the ship, my first thought was that I was
seeing something akin to a wind-tunnel simulation, where they were
making sure that all the lumpy bits were just so for cutting
through the aetherial phlogiston. But nothing confirmed that or
denied it. The other thing is that there were bugs on the planet
they went to, and they weren't Earth bugs. I rather liked that.
[-kw]
Mark replies:
Wind tunnel simulation: At one stage of writing my article I was
going to say the Enterprise lines looked like something from a
wind-tunnel test. I cut that down, probably for brevity.
Bugs: I noticed the presence bugs was unusual. You have better
eyes than I do if you noticed they were not Earth bugs. [-mrl]
===================================================================
TOPIC: The Joy of Self-Immolation (letter of comment by Jim Susky)
In response to Mark's comments on hot sauces in the 07/06/07 and
07/13/07 (!) issues of the MT VOID, Jim Susky writes:
I am cheered by the notion that there are decades of MT VOID back
issues.
At lunch today I stumbled upon your 2-part "Joy of Self-
Immolation", which contains for me various inspirations:
1) get some malt vinegar to try on deep-fried halibut.
2) get some Habanero peppers as a post-lunch coffee substitute
(since I am no longer young but vestiges of stupidity remain)
(and why is that stupid for a man for whose drug of choice is
capsaicin?)
3) be sure to replenish the kitchen with sriracha.
I have a pet theory about Tabasco sauce. At one time it seemed to
have the hot sauce world in thrall without much competition (at
least up here in Alaska). Thank to various acquaintances fro the
South, I have discovered that a close, but much tastier rival is
Franks. But still, in 2016 Tabasco seems to ubiquitous in American
Restaurants--despite that it has many better rivals. Why is that?
My conjecture is that McInhenny almost gives the stuff away to
restaurants in nice, small, prominent bottles. I'll bet that they
sell the stuff at a loss--the notion being that that is the most
effective advertising they could undertake.
And now back to work. [-js]
Mark responds:
I cannot tell you how many decades of the MT VOID are on line, but
we founded the publication something like 1979.
Frankly I do not remember this particular column, but there are a
lot to remember.
To appreciate malt vinegar on deep-fried halibut it is really best
at an English chip shop.
I think McIlhenny Tabasco goes back the longest of any hot sauce.
It was founded in 1868 and at one time it was the only game in
town. These days I do see a lot of Frank's in restaurants.
I think it likely that restaurants get a special deal for large
purposes of Tabasco. It happens in restaurants, but it is much
more common in medical businesses. Doctors get free drugs that
would cost the customer a lot. Once the doctors have found that an
expensive drug works, that is what the patient gets paying the
high-price. I try to tell my doctor/dentist/whatever that I want
to try generic drugs FIRST to find how well they work.
Evelyn adds:
The back issues on our web site (leepers.us) go back to 1984; we
have paper copies for earlier than that but are unlikely to spend
the time to scan them in. The fannish archive site fanac.org (in
particular, http://fanac.org/fanzines/MT_Void/archives.html) has
issues going back to 1997.
The index for all the back issues, including those not on-line) is
at http://leepers.us/mtvoid/back_issues.htm. [-ecl]
===================================================================
TOPIC: This Week's Reading (book comments by Evelyn C. Leeper)
I've been reading the "Library of America" volume of TALES AND
SKETCHES by Nathaniel Hawthorne, containing TWICE-TOLD TALES,
MOSSES FROM AN OLD MANSE, THE SNOW-IMAGE, A WONDER BOOK FOR GIRLS
AND BOYS, and TANGLEWOOD TALES FOR GIRLS AND BOYS; BEING A SECOND
WONDER BOOK (ISBN 978-0-9404-5003-5). It is 1500 pages long and
has well over a hundred tales, so you will be pleased to hear I am
not commenting on each one.
Hawthorne's writing has been called "New England Gothic" and "Alice
Doane's Appeal" is a good example why--think Tennessee Williams in
Puritan Massachusetts.
"The Canal Boat" (in "Sketches from Memory") proves Ecclesiastes
1:9: "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that
which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new
thing under the sun." "Anon, a Virginia schoolmaster, too intent
on a pocket Virgil to heed the helmsman's warning--'Bridge!
bridge!'--was saluted by said bridge on his knowledge-box. I had
prostrated myself like a pagan before his idol, but heard the dull
leaden sound of the contact, and fully expected to see the
treasures of the poor man's cranium scattered about the deck.
However, as there was no harm done, except a large bump on the
head, and probably a corresponding dent in the bridge, the rest of
us exchanged glances and laughed quietly. Oh, how pitiless are
idle people."
[A recent news report says, "Navigating the sidewalks of modern
cities can be very challenging and hazardous dodging all the
unguided missiles of people texting while walking. These people
are a danger to themselves, and to anyone in their path. ... This
hazard has forced many municipal authorities to consider installing
protective soft bumpers on lamp posts because people kept running
into them and getting injured."]
"Monsieur le Miroir" (1937) has definite Borgesian overtones, as
the narrator describes the title character: his own reflection in
the mirror, though that is never stated explicitly and indeed, one
is given the impression the narrator does not realize that. There
are similarities to Edgar Allan Poe's "William Wilson" (1839) and
Alfred de Musset's "The December Night" (1937), and later to the
1913 and 1926 films "The Student of Prague", which are based on
these.
"Old News" is a recounting of the contents of newspapers from three
times in the past: first, around 1740, then 1760 (during "The Old
French War" (the 1755-1760 period of the "French and Indian War",
which in turn was the North American theater of the "Seven Years'
War")), and finally 1780 (during the American Revolution). Each is
a snapshot of the times, of the people who lived through them, and
of what the newspapers reported and how they reported it.
"Mrs. Bullfrog" is a humorous story of the sort that Mark Twain
would write towards the end of the nineteenth century. The
narrator and his new bride get in a coach after the wedding to
travel to their new home. The narrator goes on at length about the
perfection of his bride. He starts to play with her hair and she
pushes him away, gently at first, saying he would disarrange her
curls, then more insistently. Other seemingly minor events occur,
until the coach hits a pile of gravel and overturns, and things
suddenly go very strange indeed.
THE BLACK LIZARD BOOK OF LOCKED ROOM MYSTERIES edited by Otto
Penzler (ISBN 978-0-307-74396-1) does not have quite as many pages
as the Hawthorne, but they are bigger pages. In any case, this is
one of the new breed of anthologies, which aims to rival in size
the fantasy trilogy that has come to be so prevalent.
(Interestingly, at the other end of the scale, the novella, and
particularly the stand-alone novella, seems to be on the rise.
"Stand-alone" in this context does not mean "not part of a series"
but rather "published on its own rather than in a magazine or an
anthology with other works.")
At any rate, this volume has 68 stories, divided into specialized
categories ("Footprints in the Sands of Time", "Shoot If You Must",
etc.). This makes it even more important to read this a bit at a
time, and possibly to read the stories out of order to give one a
better variety. But it is recommended for mystery fans. [-ecl]
===================================================================
Mark Leeper
mleeper@optonline.net
I never read the life of any important person without
discovering that he knew more and could do more than
I could ever hope to know or to do in half a dozen
lifetimes.
--J. B. Priestley